An analysis of teacher news in Turkish printed media
Transkript
An analysis of teacher news in Turkish printed media
Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 TEACHER EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT | RESEARCH ARTICLE An analysis of teacher news in Turkish printed media within the context of teachers’ image Hüseyin Polat1 and Ali Ünişen2* Received: 11 February 2016 Accepted: 14 April 2016 *Corresponding author: Ali Ünişen, Faculty of Education, Curriculum and Instruction Department, Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Turkey E-mail: aunisen@adiyaman.edu.tr Reviewing editor: Mark Boylan, Sheffield Hallam University, UK Additional information is available at the end of the article Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the news about teachers in daily newspapers circulated in Turkey. To this end, the newspapers of Zaman, Posta, Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet were selected and scanned for the teacher news between the dates of 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2014. Document analysis technique was used for the scanned news. The data obtained were expressed in frequencies and percentages according to the aim. News about the teachers was grouped on the basis of type, content, and characteristics and the teacher profile presented from this data was set forth. Teachers are mainly covered in the newspapers in sexual abuse and violence contexts; besides, the teacher profile formed on the basis of newspaper reports was found to be a negative one. Subjects: Educational Research; Journalism; Media Communication; Self & Social Identity Keywords: teacher identity; teachers in news; affective security; Turkish print media 1. Introduction The invention of printing was a revolution in terms of communication. The possibility of reproducing holy books and writing down the ideas facilitated transmission of place and individual-focused information onto individuals and places. Moreover, authority of the elite class, which held the freedom of reading and reciting the holy book, was discredited, giving way to emergence of new meanings, supporters, and opponents. Putting ideas down in black and white and publishing them into a book led to evolutions in listeners, readers, thinkers, and writers. Now, the individual is public by means of the message delivered. However, while the print technology created the public, the electronics technology generated the mass. Electronically-structured world has forced us to move from data classification to pattern recognition (McLuhan & Fiore, 2005, p. 63); and thus, a phase of definition of the ABOUT THE AUTHORS PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT Hüseyin Polat received his Doctor of Education degree from Marmara University (Istanbul, Turkey). He is an associate professor in Department of Primary Education of Adıyaman University in Turkey. His research interests include teacher training, primary education, early childhood education, drama, career development, curriculum and instruction. Ali Ünişen received his Doctor of Education degree from Gaziantep University (Gaziantep, Turkey). He is an associate professor in Department of Curriculum and Instruction of Adıyaman University in Turkey. His research interests include teacher training, history of education, curriculum and instruction. Teaching is among the most respected careers in Turkey. As Turkey has a high young population rate, almost the whole country has a relation with the teachers. Through their interactions and experiences, each individual has developed a teacher image, in which the teacher is depicted as affectionate, sympathetic, responsible, honest, fair, reliable, altruistic, etc. These attributions are confirmed by many researchers, and a teacher stereotype has been constituted in the society. Any piece of information which contradicts this teacher stereotype attracts public attention. Newspapers exploit the public interest in teacher news for various purposes. The present study explores the teacher news in Turkish Print Media to determine the teacher image presented to public. © 2016 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. Page 1 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 similarity and isolation of the difference through images, perceptions, and persuasion began. Internet, the digital communication was another revolution. The individual of the public, together with similar and different ideas, has become a mass more alike, acting altogether and shaped by the same perception. Each means of communication of the media creates its own audience, followers, readers, and opponents. The content and audience start feeding each other. However, it is still disputable whether the content determines the audience or vice versa (Turner, 2010, p. 24). The media faces us as a means of mass communication with all written, visual, electronic, etc. channels. It may seek to show, announce or report what the individual desires, as well as wishing the audience to see, hear or desire what it presents. When the media begins to process the individual in the community and the events belonging to him through its own channels, the individual may embrace or reject the media person at the rate of the target individual’s interest, the chance of resemblance to or imitation-worthiness of the media person; otherwise when the matter of concern is an event, the individual’s acceptance or rejection depends on having experienced or the chance of experiencing or the aspiration to experience the event. He is then either a supporter or an opponent of the media person or the event. The person or the event is nothing more than a representation or an image now; according to Laughey (2010) they turn into some kind of news formed on the basis of criteria of tragedy, show off, celebrity, conciseness, and actuality. Media leaves a unique perception capacity with us, by changing the environment. An extension of any of the senses changes our way of thinking and behaving, in other terms, our way of perceiving the world. When this capacity of perception changes, the people change, as well (McLuhan & Fiore, 2005, p. 41). Does the media present to the society what happened, what will happen or what it wants to happen? According to Klapper, media only reinforces people’s existing opinions, instead of brainwashing them with new ones (as cited in Laughey, 2010, p. 57). Societies are always influenced more by the nature of media used as a means of communication, than by the communication’s content (McLuhan & Fiore, 2005, p. 8). Noelle-Neumann indicates that what lies behind the question of how something looks is the way how it was reflected in media (2014, p. 276). On the other hand, media experts suggest the theory of spiral of silence; assuming that cohesion creates a sufficient level of agreement on values and goals in an anonymous society and that this also exists in external elements such as traditions or fashion. According to the theory, while the society threatens the nonconformists with isolation, the individuals themselves also feel a fear of isolation all the time. The fear of isolation leads the individuals to an effort to evaluate their opinions constantly; the results of the evaluation influence the expression or suppression of their public behaviors or especially the opinions (Noelle-Neumann, 2014, p. 276). The image constructed so far for the teacher together with the spiral of silence will force him to display the socially acknowledged behaviors. A teacher is defined by the adjectives of “tolerant, affectionate, sympathetic, jocund, communicative, helping to attain an outstanding character, responsibility and self-confidence, honest, reliable, fair” in terms of character and “good” and “efficient” in terms of family membership (Ateş, 2012; Bilen, 1999; Çelikten, Şanal, & Yeni, 2005; Demirel, 1999; Dilekmen, 2008; Erden, 1999; Fidan & Erden, 1992; Sünbül, 1996). We can also mention that almost every person has a correct idea as to the qualifications of a teacher, whose profession is attributed some kind of sacredness and is called as the prophets’ profession in the society. Thus, a teacher stereotype is constituted both among teachers and in the society. When we make an assessment based on the theory of spiral of silence, a teacher is under the surveillance of his own community and the public. Media, being conscious of the public personality of the teacher, presents the action of the teacher as a public subject rather than an individual. The Page 2 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 highlighted presentation is supposed to ensure more interest in the news. Every piece of information that contradicts with the stereotype of his community or the public will eventually turn into conflict and pressure. At this point, the image of the teacher presented to the society by the media will be evaluated separately by the active teachers’ community and the public. It is also possible that we will come across a new stereotype of teacher. Mass media, which plays a mediating role between social phenomena and people, not only transfers the information expanding and enriching the knowledge of people, but also describes the situation and expresses an opinion (Encabo, 2014, p. 347). When the newspapers report about the teachers either as an individual event or a person, the information conveyed to the reader eventually raises the possibility of reinforcing, obscuring or changing the image of teachers. The more emphasis the media places on issues or events which do not normally interest the individuals, the more likely the individuals are to pay attention to those issues (Iyengar, 2014, p. 297). Moreover, what is pronounced for the journalists is that bad news is good news and thus, bad and repugnant news are spoken of and reported to a larger extent than the good news in the newspapers (Laughey, 2010, p. 41). When a piece of teacher news takes place in a newspaper, it is also important whether the teacher is considered as a subject person or a professional. However, as this study demonstrates, the newspapers tend to present that news as regards the teaching profession and teachers’ character. According to MEB (Ministry of National Education) 2014–2015 statistics of formal training, there are 985,013 students in pre-school, 5,230,878 students in primary school, 5,069,683 in secondary school, 5,691,071 in high school, totaling 16,976,645 students and also 930,000 teachers of whom 859,000 are regular and 70,000 are paid ones (MEB, 2015). The annual circulation figures of national newspapers of Zaman, Posta, Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet, which we selected as the samples of our study, are about 102–104 million. However, considering the fact that the data for the study were gathered through the web pages of related national newspapers, we can say that those newspapers might have been read by a population of more than the number of circulation figures. Considering the number of students, a large number of families in Turkey have a direct relation to and interest in teachers. Most of those families are likely to forge a link between the teachers mentioned in the news in papers and the teachers of their own children, their relatives or their neighbors. That is why, the quality of the teacher news taking place in national newspapers, the impression they leave on the reader and the teacher perception created in the reader’s mind through the news are quite important. The way teachers are given space to in the print media may convert the continuous effect of the stimulus upon the individual, as mentioned by Laughey (2010, p. 83) into some kinds of determinative and discriminating effects. Another danger for the parents and readers is the process of desensitization, as it is called in media, which is the condition of reduced astonishment as a result of repetitive exposure to the same type of news, resulting in cultivation effect (Laughey, 2010, p. 48). There are practices in media which may implicitly foster certain media contents, which bear a substantial power to trigger our feelings. So much so that, in cases where the parents have not formed an intensely positive emotional interaction with or have weak relations with their children’s teachers, the teacher profile created by the media is more likely to influence them and cause disappointment and anxiety. Given the duration students spend at school, the feeling of insecurity for their children may be a deteriorating process for the parents, on the basis of the sexual abuse and violence news which stand out more. Studies conducted in the field of education and media include those regarding media literacy among teachers (Bütün, 2010; Çelik, 2011; Çinelioğlu, 2013; İnan, 2010; Işkın, 2015; Karataş, 2008; Page 3 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Kartal, 2013; Keleş, 2009; Sur, 2012; Tan, 2015; Tutkun, 2013; Ülker, 2012; Yazgan, 2013) teachers’ problems as reported in press (Uygun, 2012), repercussion of ethical and nonethical behaviors of teachers and principals in press (Çetin & Demirkasımoğlu, 2015), evaluation of news about violence in schools in national press, review of news about education in daily newspapers (Berkant & Cömert, 2013), the problems of teachers in Turkey taking place in periodicals on education (Maraşlı, 2007), school-media relationship in information society (Yılmaz, 2007), evaluation of the news in press about violence in schools (Teyfur, 2014), media, child and religious education (Aksu, 2004), analysis of cases of violence at schools on the basis of repercussion in press (Çubukçu & Dönmez, 2012), the image of school principals in press (Altun & Kirit, 2005). This study, which is concerning the teacher stereotype formed as a result of teacher news taking place in media in general and in print media, that is, the newspapers in particular, is going to be an original one. The essential source of this study is the newspaper, which is one of the mass communication means of media. Newspaper is defined as a publication published daily or at certain periods in order to give information or the news on politics, economics, culture or other subjects, either with or without commentaries (TDK, 2015). Considering the effect of the message of print media on the reader in an age of images, perceptions, and image construction; the way in which the teachers are made into news and presented by the national newspapers comes into prominence. The newspapers were selected, on the basis of their daily circulation figures, the point of view from which they represent the news and their criteria of reaching the readers. Thus, answers to the following questions were sought in our study: • What are the types of teacher news in the newspapers? • What are the contents and qualities of teacher news in the newspapers? • What is the teacher profile formed as a result of teacher news in the newspapers like? 2. Method Present research aims to introduce the teacher profile in Turkish printed media through content analysis of news in which teachers are involved, regarding types of the news, their content and quality. Document analysis method was conducted for the purpose. 2.1. Sample Zaman, Posta, Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet newspapers, which have the highest circulation and sales, respectively, were selected as sampling. Those newspapers were selected purposefully to acquire the maximum variation and opportunity to discover the differences (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle, 2010, p. 136) in the news devoted to teachers. Certain criteria were taken into consideration while sampling such as (a) daily circulation, (b) appealing to readers of different political tendencies, (c) being published by different publishers, and (d) being distributed nation-wide. 2014 annual circulation of the newspapers in sampling is listed in Table 1. Table 1. Circulation of newspapers in sampling Newspapers Circulation in 2014 Zaman 47,947,824a Posta 18,340,665a Hurriyet 17,719,496a Sabah 15,900,000–18,550,000b Cumhuriyet 2,650,000–2,809,000c Calculated according to the figures declared by Yaysat Doğan Dağıtım weekly. a Calculated on the base of 300,000–350,000 sales per week. (30 December 2013–05 January 2014 Weekly Circulation Table). b c Calculated on base of 50,000–53,000 weekly mean (Yaysat Doğan Dağıtım). Page 4 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 2.2. Data collection Document analysis was conducted to examine the news devoted to teachers, and the teacher profiled in nation-wide printed media was explored. Through analysis the data was examined and interpreted in order to elicit meaning and gain understanding (Büyüköztürk, Çakmak, Akgün, Karadeniz, & Demirel, 2012; Strauss & Corbin, 2008, p. 1; Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2011). The content to be analyzed was collected from the websites of the sampled newspapers from their archives copying and saving them into folders with their names and files with the news’ headings. 2.3. Data analysis The research is limited with the news in Zaman, Posta, Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet newspapers circulated between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014. Data of the research is composed of the news related to “teacher/s” in these papers. The “teacher” news in these papers was analyzed in content and coding categories were determined. The concepts used in coding were cogitated from the literature reviewed and the content under the research. The codes were shown quasi-statistically in frequencies and percentages for internal generalization (Maxwell, 2010). The content of the news in the papers was the determinant of how to evaluate the data, and interpret the findings. Similarity of the teacher news in the sample papers, relatively high circulation, and nation-wide distribution of the papers under the research were regarded to ensure the validity and reliability. 3. Findings Out of the total 885 teacher news in the national printed press, as tabulated in Table 2, 57.06% was observed to be unfavorable (f = 505), 28.59% favorable (f = 253), and remaining 14.35% was determined to be of a neutral character (f = 127). The figures suggested that the news devoted to teachers in national printed press was mainly in an unfavorable type and overweighed the remaining total. The total 57.06% (f = 505) unfavorable news related to the teachers consisted of sexual harassment [15.25%; f = 135)], violence [13.56%; (f = 120)], murders [6.56%; (f = 58)], deaths [5.65%; (f = 50)], enquiries [5.54%; (f = 49)], news dealing with the teachers working in Gulen affiliated schools [1.81%; (f = 16)], arrestments [1.47%; (f = 13)], occupational accidents [1.47%; (f = 13)], exiles [1.24%; (f = 11)], dismissing from the profession [1.02%; (f = 9)], trials [0.68%; (f = 6)], economic losses and custody [0.45%; (f = 4) each], blacklisting [0.22%; (f = 2)], indemnity and mobbing [0.11%; (f = 1)each]. Most of the news thematized as unfavorable were observed to consist of sexual harassment and violence. Distribution of total 28.59% (f = 253) the teacher news in the national printed press under the theme of favorable was as; researches, articles, interviews, success stories or model teacher’s stories in which teachers were featured [7.68%; (f = 68)], news dealing with the teachers working in Gulen movement schools [2.82%; (f = 25)], 24th November Teachers’ Day [2.71%; (f = 24)], improvement of teaching profession [2.03%; (f = 18)], altruistic teachers’ stories [1.92%; (f = 17)], economic improvement in teachers’ incomes [1.24%, (f = 11)], and acquittals [0.9%; (f = 8)]. The news under the favorable theme mainly dealt with the researches and projects which were conducted by teachers, articles written by teachers, interviews with teachers, success stories, and model teacher stories. The news, which was figured in Table 2, with the codes of protest [6.21%; (f = 55)], first appointment [4.29%; (f = 38)], unassigned teachers [1.58%; (f = 14)], teacher shortages [1.24%; (f = 11)], and relocation [1.02%; (f = 9)] was regarded to befit under the neutral news theme as the same news could be published with the similar content for any profession over the country. Page 5 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Table 2. Types of the teacher news in national press Type Theme Case/role Unfavorable Violence Offender Sufferer Total Sexual harassment Offender Sufferer Total Neutral 65 7.34 120 13.56 133 15.03 2 0.22 135 15.25 Total 13 1.47 Death Natural 9 1.02 Suicide 18 2.03 Accident 23 2.60 Murder/offender 28 3.17 Murder/offender + sufferer 7 0.79 Murder/sufferer 23 2.60 108 12.20 Enquiry Total 49 5.54 Exile Total 11 1.24 Custody Total 4 0.45 Arrestment Total 13 1.47 Trial Total 6 0.68 Dismissal Total 9 1.02 Mobbing Total 1 0.11 Indemnity Total 1 0.11 Blacklisting Total 2 0.22 Economic losses Total 4 0.45 Occupational accidents Total 13 1.47 Unfavorable news about teachers in Gulen movement schools Total 16 1.81 Total 505 57.06 Improving the profession 18 2.03 Teachers’ personal benefits 14 1.58 Economical improvements 11 1.24 Teachers’ day celebrations 24 2.71 Stories of success/model teacher 68 7.68 Research/article/interview featuring teachers 68 7.68 Altruism 17 1.92 Acquittal 8 0.90 News related to teachers working in Gulen school 25 2.82 Total 253 28.59 Protests 55 6.21 First appointments 38 4.29 Relocations 9 1.02 Unassigned teachers 14 1.58 Teacher shortages 11 1.24 127 14.35 885 100 Total Total % 6.21 Freedom of belief infringement Total Favorable f 55 Page 6 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Both the news under the favorable and unfavorable themes devoted to the teachers assigned at schools affiliated to Gulen movement schools was evaluated to be penned to serve private objectives. Table 3 shows that the teachers are depicted as offenders in 45.83% of the news with violence theme in the national printed press (f = 55). The direction of violence in the news in which the teachers are offender are sequenced as from teachers to students (34.17%), from teachers to their spouses (5%), from teachers to their colleagues and to themselves as suicides or suicide attempts (2.5% each), from the teachers to their fiancés/friends, and from teachers to doctors (0.83% each), respectively. Most of the cases, in which teachers were offenders and the commitment direction was reported to be from the teacher against the student, took place at primary school level [9.16%; (f = 11)], of which 8.33% had domestic origin (f = 10) while 0.83% had foreign origin (f = 1). News reporting violence by the teachers at preschool level was totally 5.83% (f = 7) of which 3.33% was with domestic origin (f = 4), and 2.5% was reported from other countries (f = 3). For the 5% of the news in that theme, the news texts did not include the school level in details of the venue (f = 6; 4 domestic, 2 foreign). All the news reporting violence committed by teachers towards high school students had domestic origins [4.17%; (f = 5)]. Violence news with the teachers as offender at secondary schools and private education institutions [3.33%; (f = 4)] was domestic as well. At a lower frequency [0.83%; (f = 1) each], teacher violence news was reported Quran Courses with foreign origin, and from orphanages, private high school and private training centers with domestic origin. News reporting violence acts of teachers was observed to have the highest frequencies at primary and preschool levels. As shown in Table 3, teachers were sufferers or victims in 54.17% in the violence acts reported in the media (f = 65). The news depicting the teachers as sufferers were sequenced as committed by their students 18.33%, students’ parents 15.83%, ordinary citizens 8.33%, security forces 2.5%, medical personnel 1.67%, and unidentified offenders 0.83%, respectively. Of the teacher violence news at the national printed media, 25% (f = 30) took place in Cumhuriyet newspaper, in 11.67% of which the teachers were offenders while they were sufferers in 13.33%. Sabah newspaper ranked second in circulating teacher violence news [24.17% (f = 29)] reporting the teachers as offenders in 14.17% of acts, and as sufferers in 10.83%. Hurriyet newspaper released 21.67% of teacher violence news (f = 26), in which depiction of teachers as sufferers (14.17%) overweighed the ones in which teachers were offenders (7.5%). In 10% of the news in Posta newspaper (f = 21), teachers were offenders, and sufferers in 17.5%, totaling 17.5%. Zaman newspaper reported the least news under the teacher violence theme (f = 13), and in 8.33% of that teachers were sufferers while they were offenders in 2.5%. As shown in Table 4, of the total 135 sexual harassment news in which teachers were allegedly one of the parties, the vast majority [98.52% (f = 133)] reported the teachers as harassers while only in two cases they were victims of harassment (1.48%). The news in which teachers were offenders under the theme of sexual harassment, were reported to be committed against their students at the highest level (85.19%). Demonstrating sexual visuals to students ranked second (9.93%). Besides full time employed teachers, teacher candidates, and paid teachers were also involved in sexual harassment news at frequencies of 1.48 and 0.74%, respectively. In two cases teachers were victims of the harassment [1.48% (f = 2)], which were reported to be committed by health personnel. Page 7 of 22 Total PH From teacher to doctor Total D D D F PH PH V PH D F D D D D V PH PH From teacher to fiancé/friend From student PH From teacher to teacher D HS HS SS PRS U U TC PHS 1 2 1 1 3 3 PH PH Suicide or attempt to From teacher to spouse D D D PH PH O PEI QC HS PRS 0.83 0.83 2.5 2.5 0.83 1.67 % Zaman f 3 D D PH PH F PH SS D F D PH PH D D PH V F PH SS D PH PH PS F U D Level PH Origin/ place PH Type Total From teacher to student Violence Teacher as offender Direction Theme Table 3. Violence themed teacher news in the national printed press 2 2 1.67 1.67 10 1.67 0.83 7.5 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.83 2.5 0.83 0.83 % Posta 12 2 1 9 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 f 3 3 9 3 – 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 f 2.5 2.5 7.5 2.5 5 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.83 % Hurriyet 2 8 4 1 2 1 17 1 1 1 2 6.67 3.33 0.83 1.67 0.83 14.17 0.83 0.83 0.83 1.67 1.67 8.33 0.83 0.83 0.83 2.5 1.67 1.67 % Sabah 10 1 1 1 3 2 2 f Newspapers 8 1 1 4 1 1 14 1 – 13 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 f 6.67 0.83 0.83 3.33 0.83 0.83 11.67 0.83 10.83 1.67 0.83 2.5 0.83 0.83 0.83 0.83 2.5 % Cumhuriyet 1 22 1 1 14 1 1 2 2 55 1 1 3 6 3 41 1 1 1 4 1 5 1 3 % (Continued) 18.33 0.83 0.83 11.67 0.83 0.83 1.67 1.67 45.83 0.83 0.83 2.50 5.00 2.50 34.17 0.83 0.83 0.83 3.33 0.83 4.17 0.83 2.50 0.83 8.33 2.50 3.33 3.33 1.67 Total 10 3 4 4 2 f Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Page 8 of 22 Total Teacher as sufferer D D PH PH From unidentified From medical personnel U U 13 10 2.5 10.83 8.33 1.67 3 U 2 D PH Total 1.67 1.67 1.67 0.83 0.83 From police to teacher 2 2 2 1 1 % Zaman f 2.5 D PH SS U PRS D HS PH D PH PRS U PH D PH PH SS PRS Level 3 From citizen Total From administrator Total D D PH PH From parent Origin/ place Type Direction 17.5 7.5 0.83 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 0.83 0.83 % Posta 21 9 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 f 26 17 1 1 4 3 1 1 1 7 5 2 f 21.67 14.17 0.83 0.83 3.33 2.5 0.83 0.83 0.83 5.83 1.67 % Hurriyet 29 24.17 10.83 0.83 0.83 3.33 2.5 0.83 % Sabah 13 – 1 1 4 3 1 f Newspapers 30 16 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 3 1 f 25 13.33 0.83 0.83 1.67 0.83 0.83 3.33 2.5 0.83 % Cumhuriyet 1 120 65 2 1 3 10 8 1 1 8 7 1 19 % 100 54.17 1.67 0.83 2.50 8.33 6.67 0.83 0.83 6.67 5.83 0.83 15.83 0.83 10.83 4.17 Total 13 5 f Physical, V: Verbal D: Domestic, F: Foreign, U: Unstated. Abbreviations: PS: Preschool, PRS: Primary School, SS: Secondary School, (P)HS: (Private) High School, QC: Quran Course, PEI: Private Educational Institution, O: Orphanage, TC: Private Training Center, PH: Total Theme Table 3. (Continued) Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Page 9 of 22 Total From doctor D Sexual visuals D F D From teacher to step daughter U m f f % Zaman 36 1 1 35 4 2 13 3 8 5 f % 26.67 0.74 0.74 25.93 2.96 1.48 9.63 2.22 5.93 3.70 Posta 44 – 44 3 1 5 16 7 5 1 6 32.59 32.59 2.22 0.74 3.70 11.8 5.19 3.70 0.74 4.44 % 15 – 15 2 1 1 4 4 3 f % 11.11 11.11 1.48 0.74 0.74 2.96 2.96 2.22 Sabah Newspapers Hurriyet f Abbreviations: D: Domestic, F: Foreign, f: Female, m: Male, PS: Preschool, SS: Secondary School, HS: High School, U: Undefined. Total As sufferer Total HS D From teacher candidate to student SS D F D SS HS D PS Level the Teacher’s teacher Gender employed F D Origin/ Place From paid teacher to student From teacher to student Sexual harassment As offender Direction Theme Table 4. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of sexual harassment 40 1 1 39 4 1 1 1 1 12 6 8 5 f 29.63 0.74 0.74 28.89 2.96 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 8.89 4.44 5.93 3.70 % Cumhuriyet 135 2 2 133 11 2 2 2 1 8 42 20 25 1 19 f % 100 1.48 1.48 98.52 8.14 1.48 1.48 1.48 0.74 5.93 31.11 14.81 18.52 0.74 14.07 Total Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Page 10 of 22 Total D D U HS SS HS D D U Level the teacher employed D Place/ Origin – – – – f Zaman Abbreviations: D: Domestic, U: Unstated, SS: Secondary School, HS: High School. Total Abusing religious feelings Total Impiousness to religions Total Sectarian (Alevi-Sunni) Infringement on freedom of belief Teacher as offender Case Theme % 2 – 1 1 1 1 f % 15.38 7.69 7.69 7.69 7.69 Posta 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 f 30.77 7.69 7.69 7.69 7.69 15.38 7.69 7.69 % Hurriyet – – – – f Newspapers Table 5. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of infringements on freedom of belief Sabah % 7 – 1 1 6 1 4 1 f 53.85 7.69 7.69 46.15 7.69 30.77 7.69 % Cumhuriyet f 13 1 1 3 3 9 2 6 1 % 7.69 100 7.69 7.69 23.07 23.07 69.23 15.38 46.15 Total Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Page 11 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 According to education level at which the harassments were committed and gender of the offenders, 70 cases, of which 37.04% had foreign and 14.81% had domestic origins, were reported describing teachers as offenders at high school level. Out of 37.04% news with foreign origin, 31.11% released female teachers, and remaining 5.93% male teachers as harassers to their readers. Sexual harassment news with foreign origin were published in Hurriyet [15.55%; (f = 21)], Posta [9.63%; (13)], Cumhuriyet and Sabah [0.74%; (f = 1) each], respectively. The total 14.81% (f = 20) domestic news under the same theme but in which the teachers were offenders took place in the same newspapers with a slightly different sequence; Hurriyet [5.19%; (f = 7)], Cumhuriyet [4.44%; (f = 6)], Sabah [2.96%; (f = 4)], Posta [2.22%; (f = 3)]. Frequency of news under sexual harassment cases at secondary school decreased more than ones at high school level [18.52%; (f = 25)] and was reported in Cumhuriyet and Posta (5.93% each), Hurriyet (3.70%), and Sabah (2.96). Sexual harassment by teachers against students at primary school level took place in the newspapers as well [14.07%; (f = 19)] all with domestic origins on a lower scale relatively, and the newspapers ranked in reporting the news as Hurriyet (4.44%), Posta and Cumhuriyet (3.70% each), and Sabah (2.22%). The apportion of total 135 news in the national press under the sexual harassment theme was as Hurriyet 35.59% (f = 44), Cumhuriyet 29.63% (f = 40), Posta 26.67% (f = 36), and Sabah 11.11% (f = 15), newspapers. Zaman newspaper did not include any news under the sexual harassment theme. Table 5 shows the news dealing with infringements on freedom of belief was committed by teacher in the form of sectarian discrimination (Alevi-Sunni) at 69.23%, desecration of different religions (23.07%), and abusing religious feelings (7.69%). Infringements on freedom of belief (f = 12) were reported to be committed at secondary school level (46.15%) and high school level (15.38%) in the form of sectarian discrimination. 7.69% of the news reporting infringement did not refer to the school level. The news in which the teachers were featured as desecraters (23.07%) was reported from high schools. Most of the news under infringements on freedom of belief was made by Cumhuriyet [53.83%; (f = 7)], Hurriyet ranked second with 30.77% (f = 4), and Posta had the least news 15.38% (f = 2) while Zaman and Sabah did not include any news under that theme. As shown in Table 6, out of the total 108 teacher news in the national press under the theme of death, 53.70 presented the teacher as victims of murders (f = 58), 25.93% as the murderers (f = 28), 21.30 as victims of accidents (f = 23), 16.66% as suicide committers or attempters (=18), another 6.48% as murderers in cases with both parties were teachers, and 8.33% of the news were about natural death or funerals of the teachers. The news under the death theme took place in the newspapers at the rates of 34.26% in Sabah (f = 37), 18.52% in Zaman (f = 30), 17.59% in Hurriyet (f = 19), 15.74% in Cumhuriyet (f = 17), and 13.89% in Posta (f = 15), respectively. Teachers’ news under the jurisdiction theme (Table 7) in the national press fell into two subthemes in respect to the authority carrying out the actions; ministerial institutions and courts. The news in the former subtheme [68.26% (f = 71)] dealt with enquiries 47.10% (f = 49), exiles 10.58% (f = 11), dismissals 8.84% (f = 9), and blacklisting 1.92% (f = 2), all of which reported be carried out by the Ministry of Education or ministerial institutions. The remaining total 31.73% (f = 33), which consisted of arrestments [12.5%; (f = 13)], acquittals [7.69%; (f = 8)], trials [5.77%; (f = 6)], custodies [3.84%; (f = 4)], indemnities [0.96%; (f = 1)], and mobbing [0.96%; (f = 1)], made the teacher jurisdiction news under the subtheme of actions of judicial authorities. Page 12 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Cumhuriyet and Hurriyet ranked on top by reporting 34.62% (f = 36) and32.69% (f = 34) of the new, respectively. Jurisdiction news of teachers had less coverage in Posta [17.31%; (f = 18)], Sabah [8.65%; (f = 9)], and Zaman [6.73%; (f = 7)]. As shown in Table 8, news under the teacher employment theme ranged as first appointment [52.78% (f = 38)], unassigned teachers [19.44% (f = 14)], teacher requirement[15.28% (f = 11)], and relocations [12.5% (f = 9)], respectively. The newspapers ranked as Hurriyet [27.78% (f = 20)], Zaman [20.83% (f = 15)] Cumhuriyet and Sabah [18.06% (f = 13) each], and Posta [15.28% (f = 11)] in reporting the news under teacher employment theme. Teachers’ news in the national media under the protest theme (Table 9) reported the teachers to have been involved in protests against the government at 60.01% (f = 32) rate. They had media coverage either staging or supporting protests in favor of unassigned teachers [16.36% (f = 12)], their colleagues [16.36% (f = 8)], and their personal rights [1.82% (f = 1)]. Table 6. Teacher news under the death theme in national printed press Theme Case Death Direction Natural Origin/ Place D Newspapers Zaman f % 2 1.85 Posta f % F Suicide D F Accident Offender % f % f % 2 1.85 1 0.93 2 1.85 2 1.85 3 2.78 2.78 1 0.93 2 1.85 3 2.78 11 10.19 4 3.70 10 3.70 18 16.67 1 0.93 1 0.93 1 0.93 D To friends F To descents D 2 To teacher spouse D 3 2.78 4 3.70 5 4.63 From ex-spouse to ex-spouse D 1 0.93 1 0.93 1 0.93 From spouse to spouse D 1 0.93 2 1.85 Total 1.85 1 0.93 2 1.85 1 0.93 1 0.93 4 1 3.70 0.93 Cumhuriyet 3 3 7 D D 1 From students D 1 0.93 F 2 4 2.78 6.48 % 7 6.48 2 1.85 14 12.96 4 3.70 17 15.74 6 5.56 50 46.30 1 0.93 3 2.78 1 0.93 2 1.85 1 0.93 3.70 5 4.63 17 15.74 3 2.78 1 0.93 5 4.63 8 7.41 8 7.41 28 25.93 3 2.78 4 3.70 3 2.78 3 2.78 – 2 Unidentified 2.78 Total f 4 D From student’s parents Total 7.41 4.63 0.93 D Total 8 5 To principals Total 6.48 0.93 1 To parents Sufferer From ex-spouse to teacher 7 1 F Total Both parties teachers 0.93 Sabah f D Total Murder 1 3 Hurriyet 1.85 7 6.48 2 1.85 4 3.70 1 0.93 2 1.85 7 6.48 1 0.93 1 0.93 3 2.78 6 5.56 2 1.85 3 2.78 1.85 1 0.93 1 0.93 1 0.93 5 4.63 3.70 6 5.56 3 2.78 8 7.41 23 21.30 0.93 2 1.85 9 8.33 11 10.19 9 8.33 19 17.59 10 9.26 58 53.70 20 18.52 15 13.89 19 17.59 37 34.26 17 15.74 108 100 Abbreviations: F: Foreign, D: Domestic. Page 13 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Table 7. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of jurisdiction Theme Subtheme Case Jurisdic- By Institution tions of Ministry of Education Enquiry Dismissal Place/ Origin Level the teacher employed D U Newspapers Zaman Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet Total f % f % f % f % f % f % 1 0.96 3 2.88 3 2.88 2 1.92 12 11.54 21 20.19 D PS 2 1.92 2 1.92 D PRS 1 0.96 1 0.96 1 0.96 3 2.88 D SS 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 D HS 1 0.96 2 1.92 7 6.73 1 0.96 8 7.69 19 18.27 D CRC 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 D SS 1 0.96 1 0.96 D HS 2 1.92 2 1.92 2 1.92 6 5.77 D U 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 Exile D U 5 4.81 6 5.77 11 10.58 Blacklisting D U 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 5 4.80 9 8.64 20 19.23 4 3.84 33 31.72 71 68.26 Custody D U 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 F U 1 0.96 1 0.96 2 1.92 Trial D U 3 2.88 2 1.92 1 0.96 6 5.77 Mobbing D U 1 0.96 1 0.96 Arrestment D U 3 2.88 4 3.84 1 0.96 8 7.69 F U 1 0.96 1 0.96 3 2.88 5 4.81 Indemnity D U 1 0.96 1 0.96 Acquittal D U 1 0.96 5 4.81 2 1.92 8 7.69 Total By judicial authorities Posta Total Total 2 1.92 9 8.64 14 13.46 5 4.80 3 2.88 33 31.73 7 6.73 18 17.31 34 32.69 9 8.65 36 34.62 104 100 Abbreviations: U: Unstated, D: Domestic, F: Foreign, PS: Preschool, PRS: Primary School, SS: Secondary School, HS: High School, CRC: Counselling and Research Center. Table 8. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of teachers’ employment Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Teachers’ employment Total Posta Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet Total f % f % f % f % f % f % Teacher requirement 3 4.17 1 1.39 4 5.56 2 2.78 1 1.39 11 15.28 Unassigned teachers 2 2.78 3 4.17 6 8.33 1 1.39 2 2.78 14 19.44 First assignment 7 9.72 7 9.72 8 11.11 8 11.11 8 11.11 38 52.78 Relocations 3 4.17 2 2.78 2 2.78 2 2.78 9 12.5 15 20.83 20 27.78 13 18.06 13 18.06 72 100 11 15.28 Coverage of the news under the theme of protests was distributed to the newspapers as Hurriyet [40.00%; (f = 22)], Cumhuriyet [29.09%; (f = 16)], Posta [18.18%; (f = 10)], Zaman [9.09%; (f = 5)], and Sabah [3.64%; (f = 2)]. The news under the model teacher theme (Table 10) was mainly about the success stories of teachers (80.00%; (f = 68)]. Altruistic teachers’ stories were at the rate of 20.00% (f = 20). Distribution Page 14 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Table 9. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of protests Theme Protest Subtheme Place/ origin Government D Unassigned teachers D To support colleagues D For personal rights D Newspapers Zaman Posta Hurriyet f % f % f % 4 7.27 6 10.91 8 14.55 1 1.82 1 1.82 3 5.45 6 10.91 1 1.82 6 10.91 1 1.82 22 40 F Total 5 9.09 10 18.18 Sabah f Cumhuriyet % 2 Total f % f % 14 25.45 32 58.19 1 1.82 2 3.64 12 21.82 3.64 2 3.64 16 29.09 9 16.36 1 1.82 55 100 Abbreviations: D: Domestic, F: Foreign. Table 10. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of model teacher Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Model Teacher Total f % Posta f Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet % f % f % f % 10 11.77 Success stories 9 10.59 6 7.05 20 23.53 23 27.06 Altruistic teachers 1 1.18 2 2.36 7 8.23 7 8.23 10 11.77 8 9.41 27 31.76 30 35.29 10 Total f 11.77 % 68 80 17 20 85 100 Table 11. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of teaching career Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Teaching career Total Posta Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet Total f % f % f % f % f % f % Improving the career 1 1.16 3 3.49 3 3.49 9 10.47 2 2.33 18 20.93 Teachers in scientific studies an interviews with teachers 20 23.26 7 8.14 15 17.44 18 20.93 8 9.30 68 79.07 21 24.42 10 11.63 18 20.93 27 31.40 10 11.63 86 100 of the news to the newspapers was as Sabah 35.29% (f = 30), Hurriyet 31.76 (f = 27), Cumhuriyet 11.77% (f = 10), Zaman 11.77% (f = 10), and Posta 9.41% (f = 8). The news which was thematized as teaching career (f = 86) was, respectively, about researches on teachers, articles written by/on them, interviews with them, and the projects carried with or by them [79.07%; (f = 68)]. News about the improving of the teaching career took 20.93% of the theme (f = 18). Sabah reported 31.40% of the news and followed by Zaman 24.42% (f = 21), Hurriyet 20.93% (f = 18), Posta 11.63% (f = 10), and Cumhuriyet 11.63% (f = 10) (see Table 11). Out of total news under the theme of special day (24th November Teachers’ Day), 41.67% took in Zaman newspaper (f = 10). Sabah and Cumhuriyet had 16.67% (f = 4 each) of the news about the teachers’ day celebrations. Posta and Hurriyet, each having 12.50% (f = 3), ranked last in the news under this theme (see Table 12). Table 13 shows the news about the teachers’ rights in the national press. Most of the news under this was about the teachers’ personal rights [48.28%; (f = 14)]. Economic improvement in teachers’ Page 15 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Table 12. Teachers’ news with special day/occasion theme in national printed media Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Special Days 24th November Teachers’ Day Posta Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet Total f % f % f % f % f % f % 10 41.67 3 12.5 3 12.5 4 16.67 4 16.67 24 100 Table 13. Teacher news in the national printed media under the theme of teachers’ rights Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Teachers’ rights Personal rights Posta f % f 2 6.90 Hurriyet % Economic improvements Economic losses Total 2 6.90 4 13.80 – Sabah Cumhuriyet f % f % f 3 10.34 7 24.14 3 10.34 5 17.24 1 3.45 7 24.14 12 41.38 Total % f % 2 6.90 14 48.28 3 10.34 11 37.93 1 3.45 4 13.79 6 20.68 29 100 incomes, economic losses as well took place in the press with the rates of 37.93% (f = 11) and 13.79% (f = 4), respectively. The news under this theme took place in Sabah at 41.38% rate (f = 12), Hurriyet 24.14% (f = 7), Cumhuriyet 20.68% (f = 6), and Zaman 13.80% (f = 4). Posta, the other newspaper in the sample, did not report any news under the theme. The news about the teacher working in Gulen movement schools (private schools in Turkey and charter schools abroad which are related to Gulen and led by his followers) was thematized as special news (Table 14) 60.98% of the was in favor and took place only in Zaman, the newspaper of the movement with the highest circulation, while 39.02% (f = 16) of the news was reported in Sabah, which were all unfavorable. The other newspapers in the sample did not have any news about the teachers working in Gulen movement schools. As shown in Table 15, accidents which were caused by teachers in learning environments were thermalized under the occupational accidents (f = 13) and they mainly dealt with the experiments going wrong. The newspapers reporting the events ranked as Sabah [53.85%; (f = 7)], Posta and Cumhuriyet [15.38%; (f = 2) each], Zaman and Hurriyet [7.69%; (f = 1) each]. Table 14. Teacher news in national printed media with private news theme Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman f Private News f Hurriyet % f % Unfavorable news about the teacher working in Gulen movement schools Favorable news about the teacher working in Gulen movement schools Total % Posta 25 60.98 25 60.98 – – Sabah f % 16 39.02 16 39.02 Cumhuriyet f – % Total f % 16 39.02 25 60.98 41 100 Page 16 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Table 15. Teacher news in national printed media with occupational accidents theme Theme Subtheme Newspapers Zaman Occupational accident In learning environment by teacher Posta Hurriyet Sabah Cumhuriyet Total f % f % f % f % f % f % 1 7.69 2 15.38 1 7.69 7 53.85 2 15.38 13 100 4. Conclusion and discussion Media helps to constitute, sustain, and sometimes transform transnational, national, regional, and local identities through its cultures (Stevenson, 2002, p. 216). It can be seen that teachers take place in print media, the newspaper, with their professional identities, rather than as individuals. Thus, the teacher image formed as a result of newspaper reports is supposed to affect many parents, students, citizens, and institutions, associated with the teacher identity in the society. Within the scope of our study, 885 pieces of teacher news took place in national newspapers of Zaman, Posta, Hurriyet, Sabah, and Cumhuriyet in 2014. 57.06% of the news was found to be negative, 28.59% positive, and 14.35% neutral (Table 2). The teacher profile formed according to the newspaper reports is a negative one, which contradicts the report prepared by Dalton and Marcenaro-Gutierrez (2013), in which Turkey was ranked third in Global Teacher Status. Altun and Kirit (2005) came up with a negative image for school principals in their study about the image of school principals in press, in which they scanned Zaman, Milliyet, and Cumhuriyet newspapers between the years of 1997–2001. It is noteworthy that the images of teachers and school principals, as formal representatives of the school as an institution, are negative in both of those studies conducted in different times, but with some common newspapers. When we surveyed the types of negative-themed teacher news in the newspapers, we encountered chiefly sexual abuse, violence, murder, death, investigation, special news/negative (about teachers working in schools affiliated to Gulen community), arrest, education accident, banishment, dismissing from profession, economical losses, custody, profiling, compensation, and mobbing news, respectively (Table 2). Sexual abuse is defined as conscious, repetitive and unpleasant words, gestures and contacts related to sexuality (Macionis, 2012, p. 342). Although sexual abuse is a frequent incidence in the society, it is not revealed nor reported, but remains hidden due to feeling of disgrace. According to the researches, at most 5–10% of sexual abuse cases are unveiled (Özgentürk, 2014). In our study, teachers were most frequently mentioned with a negative image in reports of sexual abuse in national newspapers. In 98.52% (f = 133) of those reports, the perpetrators were teachers while the sufferers were students and the reports mostly took place in Hurriyet, Posta, Cumhuriyet, and Sabah newspapers. No sexual abuse news was encountered in Zaman newspaper. Sexual abuse news with sexual pictures appeared chiefly in Posta and Cumhuriyet newspapers with a percentage of 9.93%. In our study, reports about sexual abuses abroad in high schools were 37.04% in the newspapers. The rate of cases in which female teachers abused male students was 31.11%, whereas the rate of cases of female students abused by male teachers was 5.93%. Sexual abuse news about the same educational grade in Turkey was observed at the rate of 14.81%, by male teachers towards female students. News about male teachers abusing female students in Turkey mainly took place in secondary schools, high schools and primary schools, respectively. Page 17 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Nearly all reports of sexual abuses abroad in the newspapers are about female teachers abusing male students. It can be asserted that reporting—selecting—news about sexual abuse abroad in our national newspapers is based on a sexual magazinish approach. As the of perpetrator–victim scheme presented for the cases abroad do not match with the ones in Turkey, they may reduce the severity of the sexual abuse incidents in Turkey in the sight of readers. Sexual abuse news has appeared in national press mostly in Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, Posta, and Sabah newspapers, respectively. No teacher news involving sexual abuse took place in Zaman. Taking the study by Doğrucan and Yıldırım (2011) into consideration, the newspapers more commonly read by conservative audiences have been the ones that allowed the least space for sexual abuse news. The second most common kind of negative news, following sexual abuse reports, is reports on violence. According to violence-themed teacher news, the rate of teachers suffering from violence is more than those practicing it (Table 3). According to the news of violence which took place mostly in the national newspapers of Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, Sabah, Zaman, and Posta, respectively, and in which teachers were the sufferers, teachers are subjected to violence chiefly by students, parents, ordinary citizens, the police, medical officials and by unidentified assailants, respectively. When the levels of education are taken into consideration, teachers suffer the most violence from students in high schools, from parents in secondary and primary schools, and from the man in the street in secondary schools. When classified with regard to the degree of education, student violence against teachers prevails at high schools, whereas they usually fall victims to the violence brought on by a parent in secondary or primary schools, and by ordinary citizens mostly in secondary schools. Violence news in which the offender is a teacher appeared in national newspapers of Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Posta, Hurriyet, and Zaman, respectively. According to those reports, teachers practice the most violence against students, colleagues, themselves (suicide attempt), fiancés, and doctors, respectively. Violence against students was observed mainly at primary schools and pre-schools, when classified according to the level of education. This is followed by a group of news in which the level of education was not mentioned and then, high schools, secondary schools and centers of special education, respectively. Teachers are expected to help nourish the children in social and emotional terms. However, the primary school and pre-school levels where violence against children occur the most frequently, regrettably, correspond to the period when the social and emotional development of the children is the most critical. Teachers are involved in less violence against students in high schools and secondary schools compared to other educational grades; on the other hand, they are face to face with the greatest amount of violence from the students at high schools and parents at secondary schools. Though the victims of the maximum amount of teacher violence are primary school and pre-school students, it is found that they do not meet with reaction from the parents of these grades. Negative behaviors of people, such as violence, are the sort of phenomena which are primarily meant to be eliminated at schools. It is ironical that the parties of education, such as teachers, students, and parents are either the actors or the sufferers of the phenomenon. According to the findings of our study, teachers, who take place in national newspapers mostly in sexual abuse and violence contexts, impair the affectional security of children, as opposed to the expectations of the state and the society from the teachers. Following the news about sexual abuse and violence, the teachers were referred to negatively in national newspapers in contexts of death. Teacher news about death took place mostly in national newspapers of Sabah, Zaman, Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, and Posta, respectively, and they are mainly reports of murder, natural death, suicide, and accident. Page 18 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 Murder and suicide news in which the perpetrator is a teacher can be studied within the scope of violence. Assessing the news of teacher violence not ending in death (Table 3) and those ending in death (Table 6) together, we can conveniently say that teachers appear in national newspapers within a context of violence significantly. Involvement of teachers, who are supposed to provide the children with communicational, social, and emotional problem-solving skills, in cases of violence which are also defined as problems of public health (Balcıoğlu & Kılıç, 2008) is a serious educational and social incident. Teacher news with jurisdiction theme was presented mostly in Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet, Posta, Sabah, and Zaman, respectively, and they were grouped into two sub-themes of the institution of MEB and of judicial authorities. Jurisdiction news about teachers within MEB as an institution mainly include investigation, banishment, dismissing from profession and profiling; whereas jurisdiction news about teachers within judicial authorities comprise news of arrest, acquittal, trial, custody, compensation, and mobbing. Teacher news with a negative theme about banishment, profiling, arrest, dismissing, trial, custody, and mobbing took either very limited or no place in Zaman, Posta, and Sabah newspapers (Table 7). Teacher news with the theme of freedom of belief were mostly given space in Cumhuriyet, Hurriyet, and Posta, respectively, and were about sects (Alawite-Sunni), disrespect against other religions and exploitation of religious feelings. News on freedom of belief regarding sects (Alawite-Sunni) were mainly in secondary and high schools and those regarding disrespect against other religions in high schools; while no educational grade was mentioned in the news on freedom of belief regarding exploitation of religious feelings. News on violation of freedom of belief was given either little or no space in Zaman and Sabah newspapers (Table 5). When we survey the types of teacher news with a positive implication in national newspapers, we primarily encounter researches conducted and articles written by teachers, news about the teachers employed in Gulen affiliated schools, interviews, success stories, 24th November Teacher’s Day, reports to improve the profession, devoted teachers, economical improvements, and acquittals (Table 2). Teacher news with the theme of teaching profession took place mainly in Sabah, Zaman, Hurriyet, and least in Posta and Cumhuriyet. Teacher news with the theme of model teachers were found mostly in Sabah, Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, and Zaman, respectively, and least in Posta; and they were in form of stories of success, model teachers or devoted teachers. No reports of devoted teachers were given space in the newspaper of Cumhuriyet. As a special news theme, positive news about teachers working in schools affiliated to Gulen community appeared in Zaman newspaper, whereas the negative ones took place in Sabah. No teacher news with a special theme was noticed in Posta, Hurriyet, and Cumhuriyet newspapers. Teachers’ Day, November 24th reports with the theme of special occasion appeared mostly in Zaman, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, respectively, and least in Posta and Hurriyet. Teacher news with the theme of teachers’ rights was found chiefly in Sabah, Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, and Zaman, respectively, and their main points were personal benefits of teachers, economical improvements, and economical losses. News about teachers’ rights took either little or no place in the newspapers of Posta, Zaman, and Sabah (Table 13). The types of teacher news having a neutral implication in national newspapers mainly include reports about protests, the first appointment, unassigned teachers, need for more teachers and changes of place, respectively. Teacher news with the theme of protests took place mostly in Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, Posta, Zaman, and least in Sabah; and they were about the government, unassigned teachers, friends of teachers, and personal benefits. Teacher news with the theme of protests was given either little or no space in the newspapers of Sabah, Zaman, and Posta. Teacher news with the theme of employment of teachers took place mostly in Hurriyet, Zaman, Cumhuriyet, Sabah, and Posta; and they were primarily concerning the first appointment, unassigned teachers, need for Page 19 of 22 Polat & Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1179614 more teachers, and changes of place (Table 9). Teachers’ legal status, organization and economic problems, their training and their quantity to meet the requirement are mostly in the news in a neutral manner. Considering the news about teachers in national newspapers as a whole, we can conclude that they were mentioned usually in negative contexts in press. The negative aspects of teachers in the national print media are about sexual abuse, violence, investigations by MEB institution, and news of murder/death in which the perpetrator is a teacher. This type of teacher image does not correspond to the teacher model desired to be trained in existing Education faculties, or to the teacher stereotype of the society. Teachers appear in the newspapers not as individuals, but as professionals, which indicates that they also take on a position of representation when they appear in press. In other words, an item of teacher news concerns approximately 17 million students and parents as well as 1 million teachers. Thus, any damage to—or even change in—the teacher stereotype formed in the society by the state’s intervention over a long period of time, due to teacher news, will eventually lead to irrecoverable educational and social problems. The study was limited with the news in the media and it was not inquired whether the teacher news appearing in national newspapers were true or to what extent the results of the cases of legal or administrative investigation were given space in the press. However, in one dimension of the study, acquittal was found to be 0.9% (f = 8) for the teacher news with positive implications. Taking into consideration that teachers also appear in news including claims or suspicion in print media, it is important that news of teachers who are found to be innocent or vindicated at the end of the legal or administrative investigation processes are presented rigorously and remarkably. Funding The authors received no direct funding for this research. Author details Hüseyin Polat1 E-mail: hpolat@adiyaman.edu.tr ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9760-5257 Ali Ünişen2 E-mail: aunisen@adiyaman.edu.tr 1 Faculty of Education, Primary Education Department, Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Turkey. 2 Faculty of Education, Curriculum and Instruction Department, Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Turkey. Citation information Cite this article as: An analysis of teacher news in Turkish printed media within the context of teachers’ image, Hüseyin Polat & Ali Ünişen, Cogent Education (2016), 3: 1179614. References Aksu, A. (2004). Medya, çocuk ve din eğitimi [Media, children and religious education] (Yayınlanmamış Dokotra Tezi). Felsefe ve Din Bilimleri Anabilim Dalı Din Eğitimi Bilim Dalı, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Uludağ Üniversitesi, Bursa. Altun, S. A., & Kirit, G. (2005). Okul yöneticilerinin basındaki imajı [School principals’ images in the printed media]. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi Dergisi, 11, 25–46. Ateş, N. (2012). 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Eğitim Bilimleri Anabilim Dalı, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi, Çanakkale. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2011). Sosyal bilmlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative research methods in social sciences]. Ankara: Seçkin Yay. Yılmaz, N. (2007). Bilgi toplumunda okul ve medya ilişkisi: Türkiye Örneği [School media relationship in the education society: Example from Turkey] (Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Marmara Üniversitesi, İstanbul. © 2016 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. 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